# Sogni e Follia Rosso di Montalcino (2022)

- **Producer:** Podere Le Ripi
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Sangiovese
- **Region:** Toscana, Italy
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 14.0%
- **Average price:** €30
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, raspberry, violet, plum, black pepper, cedar, cloves, vanilla, nutmeg, leather, forest floor, mushroom

## About this wine

Podere Le Ripi was founded in 1997 by Francesco Illy, a member of the famous Italian coffee dynasty. Drawn to a wild, untouched, and heavily forested pocket on the cooler western slope of the Montalcino hill, Illy envisioned a biodynamic oasis. The estate is renowned for its deep commitment to natural farming and architectural harmony, highlighted by a spectacular, hand-built gravity-fed cellar constructed in a golden spiral using 750,000 local clay bricks without any structural cement. This unique terroir, insulated by surrounding forests, yields wines of exceptional purity, balance, and vibrant energy.

## Interesting facts

- The winery's gravity-fed cellar is a 'golden spiral' built by hand using 750,000 local clay bricks without any structural cement.
- While most Rosso di Montalcino is aged briefly, Sogni e Follia is aged for nearly three years in wood and concrete, like a 'Baby Brunello'.
- Founder Francesco Illy, of the famous coffee family, established this biodynamic estate in a wild, forested pocket of Montalcino.

## Food pairing

This wine's high acidity and structured yet integrated tannins make it a perfect match for rich, savory, and fatty dishes. The vibrant acidity cuts through the richness of roasted meats and pasta sauces, while the fine-grained tannins bind beautifully with proteins, enhancing both the food and the wine's fruit profile.

## Wine making process

The winemaking process for Sogni e Follia is defined by low-intervention, natural methods. Grapes are harvested entirely by hand in late September. Spontaneous fermentation is initiated using only indigenous yeasts in large, open-topped oak vats, with maceration lasting for 20 days. Uniquely for a Rosso di Montalcino, the wine undergoes an exceptionally long maturation process: it is aged for 24 months in large oak casks, followed by an additional 8 months of refinement in concrete vats. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulfur additions.